AZ Dance Festival 2019 Prescott Performing companies

Gauri Bhobe / Sanskaar Nritya Dance AcademyBharatanatyam/Indian ClassicalGauri Bhobe, Director and FounderFacebook: Gauri bhobe; Insta@dancingauri​Gauri has been learning this art form called Bharatanatyam, a 3000 years old classical dance style originating from the South of India, since the age of six. Now after three decades she is teaching and performing in Arizona and travels within USA and India to perform and conduct workshops. Her wish is to make this style popular and relatable to the audience. ​Gauri has her dance school called SNDA in Chandler where students ages from 5 years to even adults come and enjoy learning this art. She taught a world cultural class in Chandler Gilbert community college and intends to make this a course in the curriculum in performing arts subject. Gauri has won prestigious awards from Government of India with junior and senior level for scholarship and has achieved a diploma in dance as well.Recent performance have been the Herberger Theatre, the Wednesday Club, Fine Arts Association festivals and as regular performer for ADF. She has also performed in Asian cultural festivals and regularly performs in all Indian cultural events across the valley.

Canyon Movement Company (CMC) was created in 1993 in Flagstaff. The company has an annual Spring Concert, produces “A Christmas Carol in Dance,” a Halloween Show, as well as other performances throughout the community. They present lecture/demonstrations and residencies in schools. The company has performed in Ireland and Italy as well as at festivals throughout the west. The company is a collaborative group of dancers creating new choreography annually. They train young dancers through its studio, Canyon Dance Academy, and conducts a Dance for Seniors program. CMC is a modern dance ensemble dedicated to sharing our passion and excitement with a growing audience by creating and presenting the art of dance through performance, education, and community and collaborative projects. Choreographer Chelsea Taylor graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2004. She co-founded Vispo Dance Company and performed with Carmen Carnes Dance Ensemble and Kate Mitchell Dance Company in San Francisco.

Desert Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company that was founded in 1979. The company has an eclectic variety of dances in the current repertory, which range from classical, comical, abstract and theatrical. The company offers a variety of quality programs to schools and communities that are inspiring, entertaining and educational, including: master classes, lecture demonstrations and performances. Desert Dance Theatre also specializes in theme-related programs that focus on cultural diversity and about the lives of prominent people who have fought for freedom in America through the form of music, dance, dramas. We have completed a trilogy of civil rights productions, “Free At Last,” “Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman,” and “Judgments.” The company has also collaborated with String Sounds (string quartet), touring and performing over thousands of children’s performances in elementary schools since 1985.

DMJ dance collective Contemporary Modern DanceDanielle Johnson, Choreographerwww.dmjdancecollective.com​Danielle McNeal Johnson draws from a diverse training in modern, classical/contemporary jazz, ballet and African dance. Born and raised in Queens, NY. Danielle received scholarships to study at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance (Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and Dunham Technique) and Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theater (African Dance and Jazz). While in New York, Danielle had the honor to train for two years under Jazz dance master Luigi. She received a scholarship to study dance at ASU and completed her BA in dance. Danielle’s dance career has afforded her the opportunity to work with choreographers from all over the country and in various genres of dance. She serves as faculty member for the Dance Academy of the White Mountains.

Dulce Dance Company ​Contemporary ModernCandy Jimenez, Artistic Director/ChoreographerDulceDanceCompany/Facebook​Dulce is a Contemporary Modern Dance company emphasizing in technical artistic expression. Dulce’s mission is to access something greater through the timeless universal language of dance. Candy earned her BFA at Arizona State University and was awarded the “Outstanding Undergraduate Dance Major” award from the National Dance Association. She continued her training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York City. Upon returning to the valley, Candy joined Desert Dance Theater as a Core Dancer, Choreographer, and Associate Artistic Director. She then founded Dulce Dance Company and has been producing work since it’s inception in 2006. As she continues to work artistically, Candy continues enriching Education with Dance through earning her Master’s in Educational Administration Degree.

Mary Fitzgerald is a dance artist whose creative work includes choreography, performance, and more recently, dance film. She was a member of Kei Takei’s Moving Earth for nearly ten years, performing and teaching internationally. She also has danced with A Ludwig Dance Theatre, Fred Darsow Dance, and several independent choreographers throughout the United States. Mary's work has been presented locally and has received support from such agencies as the Ministry of Culture in Mexico, the Japan Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts, ASU’s Institute of Humanities Research and the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts. In 2018, Mary received a Phoenix Mayor’s Arts Award/Dance Artist for her leadership in the field. She currently is an associate professor of dance in the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre at ASU where her teaching and creative research centers on interdisciplinary art-making, contemporary movement practices and somatics.

Adult Fusion Dance Company performed for the first time with the Arizona Dance Festival last year and was particularly thrilled with its experience. AFDC’s adults range from 23-65 and has 15-20 dancers. Their philosophy is that “you are never to old to dance!”

​Mary Heller was a Full-Time Lecturer in Dance at the University of Idaho from 2006-2011. Originally from Chicago, she earned an M.F.A. in Dance from Florida State University. She is a veteran Educator of eight techniques who has taught in studio’s to Higher Ed for over 31 years. Mary is the Artistic Director of, and accepting investors for her global technology and Dance company Sharing Ground, sharinggroundinternational.com. Mary was a Principle Dancer in several Dance Companies in Chicago, has guested nationally, and has performed the repertory of Randy Duncan, Jim Clouser, Susan Marshall, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Bill T. Jones. Her own repertory of work has been performed nationally, and in South America. She is an Elite, Certified Artistry Instructor of a Dance Experience for ALL movement abilities, BeMoved®, and Gentle BeMoved®, designed by Sherry Zunker, in Chicago. Besides the Art and Science of Dance, she loves chocolate, sleep, and humans.

Kelly Roth & Dancers was founded in New York City in 1978, giving its debut performance in January of the following year at Lincoln Square. Since Mr. Roth’s departure from the city in 1985 the company has followed him to various locations across the United States. As a now Las Vegas-based organization, Mr. Roth and company have appeared at the Avignon Festival in France, the International Choreographic Festival in Mexico City, the Prague Dance and Theatre Festival, the Dance Grand Prix Italia, the Barcelona Dance Awards, and to frequent engagements in California, Arizona, and Utah. In addition to directing the company Mr. Roth also directs the College of Southern Nevada Dance Program, Las Vegas Dance in the Desert Festival, and New Dance Foundation for the Arts, Inc. This year Mr. Roth created new work for Contemporary Dance Space Lviv, Ukraine.

Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, NBDT, a modern dance company of drama, wit, joy and invention capable of moving everyone in their audience, presented their first performance in 1986.

Nannette Brodie is the artistic director and principal choreographer for the company. According to Nannette, “Dance should be a celebration, an exploration of ourselves and our environment, of our culture and our world.” NBDT has given performances for over 275,000 people both within the Southern California area and by touring nationally and internationally. The current touring repertoire includes EVERY SOLDIER HAS A STORY, STRENGTH IN SORROW, BODY OF WATER, FLURRY and other works. Our program for young audiences is FLIGHT OF THE IMAGINATION. NBDT receives support from the California Arts Council, LA County Arts Commission, Arts Council for Long Beach and various foundations.

The Dance Studio dancers are a group of hard working dancers in Prescott, Arizona that take many different styles of dance classes throughout the week. This after school dance program was created to bring a much-needed outlet for many kids/teenagers/adults to help explore their inner dance. These dancers learn many life skills at TDS to help them grow into productive adults, including hard work, setting goals and achieving them, and teamwork to help build self esteem. “Teaching Dance and Touching Lives” is the mission statement of The Dance Studio.

New Moon Tribal is the American Tribal Style® Belly Dance troupe of Prescott's New Moon School of Bellydance. Under the direction of Ustadza Azra, students learn this modern, improvisational group dance, influenced by Middle Eastern, North African, Indian and Spanish flamenco style dancing. This style of bellydance uses a cueing system built into the dance which gives students the option to create art on the spot.

Instinct Dancecorps is a strong, repertory company hosting the versatile works of nationally and internationally known choreographers. It is a pre-professional company housed at Scottsdale Community College, benefiting from the many opportunities available in a college setting. Each year we enjoy several guest residencies, touring opportunities and performances around the valley and the United States.

Veronica SilkDance Filmwww.veronicasilkdance.com​Veronica Silk is a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator residing in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from New World School of the Arts where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude from University of Florida in April of 2012. After graduating Veronica had the honor of working three seasons with Augusto Soledade Brazzdance, a Contemporary/Afro-Brazilian company based in Miami, FL. Since moving to Atlanta in 2015, Veronica Silk quickly started gaining traction in the Atlanta dance community as a freelance artist. Dancing with Atlanta Dance Collective, Dawn Axam Dance Theater Experience, Victor Jackson, Dance Canvas, Black Nativity and the Atlanta Opera. She has also had the privilege of premiering two original works; Powered Virtue and The Deception of Eden. Her passion for dance has allowed her to travel, perform, and teach in such places as Prague, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Los Angeles, and New York.